Breeding isn’t resurrecting the chestnut tree; genetic engineering might
A long-running attempt to resurrect the American chestnut tree from the blight that virtually exterminated it – an attempt that can be seen in a Plymouth “germplasm conservation orchard” among other places – is now running on two tracks, one with traditional...With KSC students returning, Keene eyes sewage as a COVID early warning system
Analyzing sewage from a wastewater treatment system for evidence of VODI-19 in the population is an interesting idea that’s getting lots of attention – such as the Massachusetts firm Biobot, which is running pilot projects around the country. Keene State...New Hampshire’s 603 area code is safe – but it could be safer
One of the iconic symbols of New Hampshire, our 603 area code, is safe for now but a tweak to the telecommunications system would make it even safer, not to mention helping keep the whole country from having to dial 11 or even 12 digits to make a call. That’s the...New pathways could help treat RNA viruses
From UNH News Service: Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have identified new pathways in an RNA-based virus where inhibitors, like medical treatments, unbind. The finding could be beneficial in understanding how these inhibitors react and potentially help...
COVID tracking numbers remain good but slow test results are a concern
This is the Monitor’s latest weekly look at measurements of four goals designed to give a sense of how well New Hampshire is doing at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers continue looking good. Before we get to the details, however, let’s consider an...
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Science Cafe NHAbout Granite Geek
Dave Brooks has written a science/tech column since 1991 – yes, that long – and has written this blog since 2006, keeping an eye on topics of geekish interest in and around New Hampshire, from software to sea level rise, population dynamics to printing (3-D, of course). He moderates monthly Science Cafe NH discussions, beer in hand, and discusses the geek world regularly on WKXL radio in Concord.
Brooks earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics but got lost on the way to the Ivory Tower and ended up in a newsroom. He has reported for newspapers from Tennessee to New England. Rummage through his bag of awards you’ll find oddities like three Best Blog prizes from the New Hampshire Press Association and a Writer of the Year award from the N.H. Farm and Forest Bureau, of all places. He joined the Concord Monitor in 2015.